Running & walking on Kalymnos
by Nick Smith 10th October 2008I'm currently staying on the beautiful Greek island of Kalymnos, and yesterday I tried out some of the walking (from the Kalymnos hiking map, €6 in several shops). Don't underestimate the walks - the map might have a 'trail' drawn on it, but that doesn't mean there is anything much on the ground! Very strenuous and vague trails. Continuously rocky, you need good approach shoes (NOT sandals!) Because of the lack of traffic, the trails aren't nearly as good as the approaches to the crags, and they rarely turn into a obvious path where you can just switch off and put one foot in front of the other.
Still, great fun, with beautiful views from the peaks of the islands. The ridge lines give particularly good views, and you can get a nice cooling wind, as there is no real shade up there. I didn't see another soul all day, and the island is really unspoilt up on the plateau.
I had thought about bringing my trail running shoes out to Kalymnos, but I'm now glad I didn't bother! I love running on rocky trails back home in the Peak District, but only when there is a trail to follow. I have managed to get in some easy road runs along the main strip between Myrties and Kastelli at dawn, which has been really lovely, and reasonably cool about 7am 
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